Chapter 12: A Little Too Much to Bear
_____________________________________________________
I surprised myself the other night on Saw Mill Road, but in a good way.
I still feel guilty about killing the possum, but deeper inside me, beneath the guilt, there is something far stronger. As I drove away into the dark that night, my heart racing, the adrenaline rocketing through my veins, I promised myself I would never be a victim again. Not to Todd, not to Doug, not even to Emily. It felt good to assert myself. It felt... right.
"It's John Doyle from Carrano Construction," the voice on the other end of the phone says.
I already know who it is. I know what he wants, too: He wants some more workers, or "associates", as he calls them. The problem is, he owes Todd about $6,000 in invoices, and Todd lacks the balls to demand it. "He's good for it," Todd always says. "What, is he going to Florida with my $6,000?" But what the hell good is the business if we're not getting paid for it?
"I can't send you any more laborers until you get your account current, John," I say firmly.
Silence.
"Eric, I- I-can't pay you if I don't have any money."
He's breaking. I can feel it. This is easier than I thought!
"Well, we've got a problem then, because I can't send you more workers if you haven't paid for the ones you already had."
"Since when?"
"Since now," I say, and the confidence floods into me, just like the other night.
John agrees to send me a check for half his balance, and to pay the rest next week. Todd is going to be thrilled!
Fifteen minutes later, Todd calls me into his office. "I just hung up with John Doyle," he says, looking over his wire-rimmed glasses at me. "He's canceling his contract with us."
Shit.
"Todd, all I told him was that he had to pay his bills. Is that so wrong?"
"Did you know he was our first customer, Eric? Our very first one?"
"I--"
"And did you know that John lent me money to pay the rent for this office when we first opened up? That's how good he was to us. And now he wants to know why we're spitting in his face, Eric!"
"Todd, I didn't know! I didn't know any of that! I'm sorry!"
"Go home, Eric."
RedFoxx85: did u give him his welcome home present
SugarKookie: kinda
RedFoxx85: ?
SugarKookie: gave him a big kiss
RedFoxx85: aw how cute
SugarKookie: below the belt ;-)
RedFoxx85: you gave him a bj?!
SugarKookie: o yea
SugarKookie: trust me he wasnt disappointed
RedFoxx85: im sure
RedFoxx85: what was it like?
SugarKookie: salty :-D
RedFoxx85: no what was "it" like
SugarKookie: mmmmmm
RedFoxx85: nice huh
SugarKookie: hes not circumsized
RedFoxx85: nfs!
SugarKookie: ive never seen an uncircumsized one before. i kept playing with his, um
RedFoxx85: foreskin?
SugarKookie: i guess so ya, sliding it back and forth over the head
RedFoxx85: with your mouth?
SugarKookie: mm-hmm
RedFoxx85: nice!
SugarKookie: loved me playing with his foreskin - kept telling me to do it more
SugarKookie: and shoving my head down on him
SugarKookie: hes very bossy in bed :-)
RedFoxx85: so im guessing you two did the deed
RedFoxx85: after you warmed him up
SugarKookie: the red tide was in :-(
RedFoxx85: so??
SugarKookie: ew, not the first time!
SugarKookie: he did want to tho
RedFoxx85: i bet
SugarKookie: so i swallowed for him ;-)
Next... Chapter 13: Christmas in February
I surprised myself the other night on Saw Mill Road, but in a good way.
I still feel guilty about killing the possum, but deeper inside me, beneath the guilt, there is something far stronger. As I drove away into the dark that night, my heart racing, the adrenaline rocketing through my veins, I promised myself I would never be a victim again. Not to Todd, not to Doug, not even to Emily. It felt good to assert myself. It felt... right.
* * *
"It's John Doyle from Carrano Construction," the voice on the other end of the phone says.
I already know who it is. I know what he wants, too: He wants some more workers, or "associates", as he calls them. The problem is, he owes Todd about $6,000 in invoices, and Todd lacks the balls to demand it. "He's good for it," Todd always says. "What, is he going to Florida with my $6,000?" But what the hell good is the business if we're not getting paid for it?
"I can't send you any more laborers until you get your account current, John," I say firmly.
Silence.
"Eric, I- I-can't pay you if I don't have any money."
He's breaking. I can feel it. This is easier than I thought!
"Well, we've got a problem then, because I can't send you more workers if you haven't paid for the ones you already had."
"Since when?"
"Since now," I say, and the confidence floods into me, just like the other night.
John agrees to send me a check for half his balance, and to pay the rest next week. Todd is going to be thrilled!
Fifteen minutes later, Todd calls me into his office. "I just hung up with John Doyle," he says, looking over his wire-rimmed glasses at me. "He's canceling his contract with us."
Shit.
"Todd, all I told him was that he had to pay his bills. Is that so wrong?"
"Did you know he was our first customer, Eric? Our very first one?"
"I--"
"And did you know that John lent me money to pay the rent for this office when we first opened up? That's how good he was to us. And now he wants to know why we're spitting in his face, Eric!"
"Todd, I didn't know! I didn't know any of that! I'm sorry!"
"Go home, Eric."
* * *
RedFoxx85: did u give him his welcome home present
SugarKookie: kinda
RedFoxx85: ?
SugarKookie: gave him a big kiss
RedFoxx85: aw how cute
SugarKookie: below the belt ;-)
RedFoxx85: you gave him a bj?!
SugarKookie: o yea
SugarKookie: trust me he wasnt disappointed
RedFoxx85: im sure
RedFoxx85: what was it like?
SugarKookie: salty :-D
RedFoxx85: no what was "it" like
SugarKookie: mmmmmm
RedFoxx85: nice huh
SugarKookie: hes not circumsized
RedFoxx85: nfs!
SugarKookie: ive never seen an uncircumsized one before. i kept playing with his, um
RedFoxx85: foreskin?
SugarKookie: i guess so ya, sliding it back and forth over the head
RedFoxx85: with your mouth?
SugarKookie: mm-hmm
RedFoxx85: nice!
SugarKookie: loved me playing with his foreskin - kept telling me to do it more
SugarKookie: and shoving my head down on him
SugarKookie: hes very bossy in bed :-)
RedFoxx85: so im guessing you two did the deed
RedFoxx85: after you warmed him up
SugarKookie: the red tide was in :-(
RedFoxx85: so??
SugarKookie: ew, not the first time!
SugarKookie: he did want to tho
RedFoxx85: i bet
SugarKookie: so i swallowed for him ;-)
Next... Chapter 13: Christmas in February
